How to deal with a child that lies

A child may resort to lying at any stage of his life and for several reasons including: fear of getting into trouble, fear of embarrassment, the need for attention or to get something that he wants to have.

So how do we deal with our kids when we discover they are lying to us, and how do we help them steer away from this vice?

Here are some useful tips:

No to punishment! This keeps the lines of communication open so that the child feels safe when he needs to open up, rather than afraid of reprimand if he actually tells the truth.
Helping the child realize that lying is a wrong-doing that breaks trust between people. We might not succeed at doing so the first time, but our kids will soon learn with repetition and determination.
Leading by example and be a role model of honesty and high moral values in order to reinforce this within the mind of a child that follows in his parents’ footsteps.
Let’s try to find out the reason or the problem behind the child’s behavior and help him in coming up with a proper solution.
Being aware of labelling a child with the term “liar” as this may reflect negatively on his self-confidence.
Reading to the child a book that talks about lying and encourages to tell the truth.

Final Tip!

Let’s not forget to praise our children when they choose to tell the truth instead of lying. We should let them know that they can trust us to help them get what they want…without the need to lie!